VOA标准英语2008年-Firefighters Target Stubborn Blazes in Northern

Firefighters in California are making progress against 30 major wildfires still burning around the state. Since the end of June, crews have contained more than 2,000 blazes in what officials have called the biggest fire episode in California's history. Mike O'Sullivan reports from Junction¹ City, California, the effort is the first round in a battle that is expected in coming months.

The fires were started by lightning. By early July, they had spread throughout the state, and came six weeks ahead of California's usual fire season.

Firefighters have contained most of the blazes, which have scorched² more than 400,000 hectares of wilderness³ areas, but stubborn fires still burn near Junction City, a town of 800 in the northern part of the state. Some neighborhoods remain evacuated⁴.

Personnel and equipment arrived from around the United States, as well as Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand and Greece.

Around Junction City, more than 3,000 firefighters and support staff are fighting these blazes.

They say job number one is protecting life and buildings, including cabins on these densely⁵ wooded hillsides. Firefighter Steve Nemore says dry conditions and rugged⁶ terrain⁷ have favored the fire.

"It's really challenging, I think, for everybody, from the ground crews to supervisors⁸, because it's been great weather for fire," he said. "It's been variable, and the ground is so steep, and the trees are so big that it's really a challenge putting in lines where you would like to."

Firefighters clear underbrush, at times fighting fire with fire, using low-intensity flames to remove dead vegetation. Fire information officer Keith Jenkins explains what is called a burnout operation.

"What we are doing now is using the weather in our favor, and lighting⁹ small strips of fire that will be less intense, and that will carry into the head fire that is behind me," he said.

Crews at base camp work to keep supplies flowing for firefighters on the lines. Additional help has come from the California National Guard. More than 2,000 National Guard troops were mobilized, and more than 200 are working on this fire.

Lieutenant¹⁰ Colonel Dan Monaghan says his troops are ready for the mission.

"Many of the military principles apply," he said. "In many ways, it's like a light infantry¹¹ mission, walking the hills, and navigational skills and things like that are required."

Some of these National Guard troops have had hard duty overseas. was deployed¹² in Afghanistan. He says firefighting is just as demanding.

"Oh yeah," he said. "The first couple of days coming up and down these hills, you feel your legs saying, 'I don't want to climb anymore.' But you tell them, 'keep going, keep going.'"

Outside Junction City, firefighters are keeping watch on a Buddhist¹³ center close to the fire lines. It was established by a Tibetan meditation¹⁴ teacher in the 1980s.

Center resident Nancy Barton says fire is something that local people have learned to live with.

"When you choose to live in the forest, fire is just part of the life, very natural," she said.

State officials say these wilderness fires are the most extensive on record in California, but are not nearly as harmful to the state's economy as the fires last year in residential¹⁵ neighborhoods in Southern California. The officials say those blazes caused losses of more than $2 billion.

Still, it is early in the season, and firefighters say they are gearing up for a long hot summer.

 

 

 

 

1 junction   

n.连接，接合；交叉点，接合处，枢纽站

参考例句：

• There's a bridge at the junction of the two rivers.两河的汇合处有座桥。
• You must give way when you come to this junction.你到了这个路口必须让路。

2 scorched   

烧焦，烤焦( scorch的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（植物）枯萎，把…晒枯； 高速行驶； 枯焦

参考例句：

• I scorched my dress when I was ironing it. 我把自己的连衣裙熨焦了。
• The hot iron scorched the tablecloth. 热熨斗把桌布烫焦了。

3 wilderness   

n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠

参考例句：

• She drove the herd of cattle through the wilderness.她赶着牛群穿过荒野。
• Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。

4 evacuated   

撤退者的

参考例句：

• Police evacuated nearby buildings. 警方已将附近大楼的居民疏散。
• The fireman evacuated the guests from the burning hotel. 消防队员把客人们从燃烧着的旅馆中撤出来。

5 densely   

ad.密集地；浓厚地

参考例句：

• A grove of trees shadowed the house densely. 树丛把这幢房子遮蔽得很密实。
• We passed through miles of densely wooded country. 我们穿过好几英里茂密的林地。

6 rugged   

adj.高低不平的，粗糙的，粗壮的，强健的

参考例句：

• Football players must be rugged.足球运动员必须健壮。
• The Rocky Mountains have rugged mountains and roads.落基山脉有崇山峻岭和崎岖不平的道路。

7 terrain   

n.地面，地形，地图

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• He knows the terrain of this locality like the back of his hand.他对这一带的地形了如指掌。

8 supervisors   

n.监督者，管理者( supervisor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• I think the best technical people make the best supervisors. 我认为最好的技术人员可以成为最好的管理人员。 来自辞典例句
• Even the foremen or first-level supervisors have a staffing responsibility. 甚至领班或第一线的监督人员也有任用的责任。 来自辞典例句

9 lighting   

n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光

参考例句：

• The gas lamp gradually lost ground to electric lighting.煤气灯逐渐为电灯所代替。
• The lighting in that restaurant is soft and romantic.那个餐馆照明柔和而且浪漫。

10 lieutenant   

n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员

参考例句：

• He was promoted to be a lieutenant in the army.他被提升为陆军中尉。
• He prevailed on the lieutenant to send in a short note.他说动那个副官，递上了一张简短的便条进去。

11 infantry   

n.[总称]步兵(部队)

参考例句：

• The infantry were equipped with flame throwers.步兵都装备有喷火器。
• We have less infantry than the enemy.我们的步兵比敌人少。

12 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

13 Buddhist   

adj./n.佛教的，佛教徒

参考例句：

• The old lady fell down in adoration before Buddhist images.那老太太在佛像面前顶礼膜拜。
• In the eye of the Buddhist,every worldly affair is vain.在佛教徒的眼里，人世上一切事情都是空的。

14 meditation   

n.熟虑，（尤指宗教的）默想，沉思，（pl.）冥想录

参考例句：

• This peaceful garden lends itself to meditation.这个恬静的花园适于冥想。
• I'm sorry to interrupt your meditation.很抱歉，我打断了你的沉思。

15 residential   

adj.提供住宿的；居住的；住宅的

参考例句：

• The mayor inspected the residential section of the city.市长视察了该市的住宅区。
• The residential blocks were integrated with the rest of the college.住宿区与学院其他部分结合在了一起。